Aneeta Sundararaj
Aneeta Sundararaj is an award-winning short story writer. She trained as a lawyer and practised for five years before she decided to pursue her dream of writing. On her own, she created and developed this website and called it ‘How to Tell a Great Story’. The aim was to make it a resource for storytellers.
To date, she’s worked on several book projects such as, My Cholesterol Journey, Set Yourself Free, Knowledge of Life: Tales of an Ayurveda Practitioner in Malaysia, Ladoo Dog: Tales of a Sweet Dachshund, The Banana Leaf Men, Mad Heaven: Biography of Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. M. Mahadevan, etc.
Aneeta's writing has appeared in many magazines, ezines and journals. By contributing more than 250 feature articles to a national newspaper, New Straits Times, she has been fortunate enough to come into contact with people who have fascinating stories to tell. Many of them have enhanced her experiences and understanding of her home, Malaysia and she strives to share some of these stories. Much to her joy, some of these stories have won awards such as the Trisha Ashley Award in 2022 and the 2022 H.E. Bates Short Story Prize.
Aneeta’s most recent and bestselling novel, The Age of Smiling Secrets was shortlisted for the Anugerah Buku 2020 organised by the National Library of Malaysia. Incidentally, The Legend of Nagakanna (an edited version of Chapter 9 in this novel) is published in an anthology called 'We Mark Your Memory: Writings from the Descendants of Indenture', School of Advanced Study, University of London, in partnership with Commonwealth Writers, 2018. Meanwhile, Ammavasai (an edited version of Chapter 14 in this novel) is published in an anthology called 'Autumn Gales' by The Alcove Publishers, 2020.
Aneeta is also a proud Patron of Sutra Foundation and the Royal Society of Literature.
Throughout, Aneeta continued to pursue her academic interests and, in 2021, successfully completed a doctoral thesis entitled ‘Management of Prosperity Among Artistes in Malaysia’ and was bestowed the award of 'Doctor of Philosophy (Managment)' by SEGi University, Malaysia.
– Ammavasai – Autumn Gales by Alcove Publishers (2020)
– The Divine At Work - LitGleam (June 2020)
– Nuns and Roses - Asian Extracts (October 2020)
– The Legend of Nagakanna – Usawa Literary Review (2021)
– Cheraiburi Chronicles - Asian Extracts (April 2021)
– The Flame - Longlisted in Exeter Literary Festival (September 2021)
– A Gifted Life - Asian Extracts (October 2021)
– My Third Grandmother - Highly Commended in Glittery Literary (October 2021 - Glittery Literary Anthology Three)
– Chakra Monsters - Longlisted in Strands International Flash Fiction Competition 14 (November 2021)
– Kupcake - Longlisted in Strands International Flash Fiction Competition 14 (November 2021)
2022
– Talking to Someone - Longlisted in Strands International Flash Fiction Competition 15 (January 2022)
– My Wonderful Family - Longlisted in Strands International Flash Fiction Competition 15 (January 2022)
– Someone To Talk To - Shortlisted in Glittery Literary (February 2022 - Glittery Literary Four)
– My Goldie Dreaming - WINNING ENTRY in FemmeFluenza 2.0 (Out of my BOX II) by WriteFluence (March 2022)
- A Dead Handbag - A Touch of Pink - Inner Wheel District 330 Newsletter (Issue 4, April 2022)
- Wonky Syntax - Shortlisted in WriteWords 22 - The Phare (April 2022)
- Taman - WINNING STORY WriteFluence Singles Season II (April 2022)
– Exactly Like That - Shortlisted / Honourable Mention in Strands International Flash Fiction Competition 16 (April / July 2022)
- A Divine Embrace - Moss Puppy Magazine (2nd Issue) - Puppy Love (May 2022)
- My Khandan - Full House Literary Magazine: Tarot Issue 2 (May 2022)
- Metopia - Indian Periodical (May 2022)
- Meta & Verse - Shortlisted for The Write Time Anthology (May 2022)
- A Little Bird - WriteFluence - Mr. Rosewood Short Story (June 2022)
- Moonset at Angkor - Fahmidan Journal Issue 12 (June 2022)
- Lolita - The Minison Project, Issue 2 (June 2022)
- Visitation Rights - Livina Press Issue 1 (June 2022)
- A Forever Bond - Honey Guide Magazine (July 2022)
- Visitation Rights - Erato Magazine (July 2022)
- The Interlude - Story Nook (August 2022)
- Nuns & Roses - Spare Parts Lit (August 2022)
- Tapasya - Longlisted for the Yeovil Literary Prize 2022 (August 2022)
- Wonky Syntax - Secert Attic: September Results (October 2022)
- My Third Grandmother - Livina Press Issue 2 (October 2022)
- Chum-One - Grave Mistakes: Halloween 2022 (Short Story Challenge Anthologies) (October 2022)
- The Weathermen - A Love Letter - WINNER of the Trisha Ashley Award - The 2022 Exeter Story Prize (December 2022)
- Blood - WINNING STORY The Open Theme Short Story Writing Contest for WriteFluence.com in December 2022 - published in the antholgy, 'Crimson' (January 2023)
2023
- Ammachi, My Third Grandmother - Secret Attic Short Story Contest for December 2022 (3 January 2023)
- Ladoo Hugs - The Community Book Project: Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude (10 January 2023)
- My Beautiful Illusion - WINNER of the 2022 H. E. Bates Short Story Prize - The Northampton Writers’ Group (January 2023)
- Illusion - Livina Press: Issue 3 (January 2023)
- The Weathermen - A Love Letter - The Paper Crow | Literary Journal | Issue 1 (17 February 2023)
– A Beautiful Moment - Longlisted in Strands International Flash Fiction Competition (17 February 2023)
– Flower Child - Longlisted in Strands International Flash Fiction Competition (17 February 2023)
– Soul Connection - WINNING STORY in FemmeFluenza 3 - WriteFluence (2 March 2023) - published in the antholgy, 'Of Heartbreak and Subdued Yearnings' (March 2023)
- My Beautiful Illusion - Karma Comes Before: Issue 2 (19 March 2023)
Books
